A Lethal Mistake
by Galionne
Summary: Merasmus always appears to all as a lone wizard, but he's not. He has one friend; just one; a mortal going by the name of 'Jane Doe'. But Jane is human, and humans are fragile. Today, someone has hurt him. Today, someone will have to pay. (Warnings inside) (If you like the story please leave a review, it helps a lot!)
1. Home and Safe

**A/N**: Inspired by the _amazing works_ of proper-nice-that on Archivesofourown, mostly 'Unfair Dismissal' and it's sequel. Each chapters will have their own sets of warnings as there are many of them. Sorry for my absolutly not perfect English…

**Warnings**: Depiction of severe wounds and abuse, Magic, Undressing, Healing spells, Vomiting, Broken!Soldier, Gentle!Merasmus, Hurt/Comfort

...

Merasmus watched as blood trickled down Jane's arms and dripped onto the cold stone floor beneath him. The Soldier was floating limply in front of him, a green mist enveloping him carefully. The wizard pushed his glowing hands forwards, moving his unconscious roommate in the air and guiding him into his own room. He lowered him down onto the double bed in the center before taking a chair and sitting next to him.

In a way, he was glad. Glad he'd found Jane before the police, wild animals or even the people of Teufort. Who knows what they would've done to him? Those foolish villagers were more scared of a group of brainless mercenaries than they were of an evil magician who'd been around for six thousand years already. Truly, they weren't the smartest. This was probably what led Merasmus to believe they weren't the ones who had assaulted Jane. He had indeed found him unconscious and bathing in his own blood in an area close to Teufort, however he'd been cut up and beaten in such a methodical way it could hardly be the doing of one of those low-IQ villagers. It was someone vile and cruel; even more than the wizard maybe.  
Merasmus sighed heavily and reached for the zipper on Jane's coat. He would have to ponder that later. The emergency for now was The Soldier. He opened the red jacket and carefully pulled it off his roommate's shoulders, revealing large bruises and deep lacerations all over his forearms. His shoulders had severe rope-burns which had peeled off the skin in places. Merasmus gently took hold of Jane's hands and inspected them closely. The bones in them had all been shattered and half of his fingers had been removed- No, ripped off. The cut wasn't clean; nerves and strips of skin had been left hanging along with chunks of flesh.

"Hey Merry did you- Wha-?! What happened to him this time?!"

Merasmus turned towards the familiar yet highly irritating Mexican voice he knew so well. The Bombinomicon was floating in the doorway, its red eyes observing Soldier's broken and mangled body. It floated over the bed and propped itself on the bedside table opposite from Merasmus.

"Looks like they got him real bad, uh?"

The wizard didn't respond, instead gently removing Jane's helmet to set it aside. The Soldier's left eye was purple and swollen, his nose broken, his lower lip slashed in different places and bruises decorated his pale face. Blood had also poured out from between his lips in an alarming amount. Merasmus placed slender fingers on his roommate's chin and carefully opened his mouth. The Bombinomicon made a concerned hissing sound as it realized how bad the injuries actually were.

"Nasty…"

Jane's teeth were for half of them either missing or broken. His tongue had been sliced in half to the root, giving it a somewhat similar appearance to Merasmus' own in a bloodier version. His gums had been severely cut and mutilated. The wizard closed his roommate's mouth and wiped off a small trail of blood with his thumb gently.

Jane was like any other human in that he was a civilian; a former mercenary who had been dismissed weeks ago. He had his limits and his motivations; his breaking point and his own beliefs. He was mortal. He was dumb. He was friendly. He could feel pain. He was alive. He had a short-tempered roommate.

Jane was unlike any human in that he had befriended Merasmus. The wizard had always terrified every mortal crossing his path. Soldier, however… Maybe it was his stupidity. It probably was. But he had never feared Merasmus. Despite his powers, despite the cursed talking book he carried around, his spells and ghastly invocations, the fact he was hundreds of years old, despite all this he had never feared him. They were like old friends.

This was why Merasmus trusted him and –as much as he hated to say it- cared for him. Whoever had hurt his human friend was going to regret it dearly.

"Hello? Heeeey! You still there?"

The wizard blinked a few times, realizing he had been a little lost in his thoughts. The Bombinomicon was floating next to Jane's head.

"-He's breathing slow. You better hurry up.

-You are not helping much." Merasmus groaned in response.

The book shrugged its non-existent shoulders.

"I'm a book. I don't have hands."

The wizard didn't answer and slid a hand under Soldier's cotton undershirt to take it off. He frowned. Something didn't feel right under his touch.

"Broken ribs…" he mumbled, his fingers brushing over bruised, slightly swollen areas on his roommate's chest and abdomen.

Merasmus peeled the shirt off as carefully as possible, trying his best not to rub the fabric on the fresh wounds. Jane's upper-body was covered in dark purple and yellows bruises showing the location of several broken ribs.

Jane moaned and shifted weakly. Blood could be heard bubbling in his throat and lungs and spurted out of his mouth and onto the bed sheets. Merasmus frowned once more.

"-Bombinomicon, get me a bucket please. We may need one.

-With what? I don't have hands remem-

-You are a cursed, magic, talking and flying book. You do not need arms or hands, nor any kind of limbs to _push a bucket_."

The book sighed in resignation and floated off angrily into the corridor. Merasmus watched it for a moment before shifting his attention back to Jane. He unbuckled The Soldier's pants and slid them down, first revealing the American-flag printed boxers the man insisted so much on wearing at all times. He continued pulling the trousers past his thighs, knees, ankles and off his legs. The sight suddenly exposed to him was worse than he'd expected. A lot worse. Jane's thighs had been deeply lacerated from the pelvis down to the knee. His tendons had been mercilessly slashed, his shins broken and the nails ripped from his toes. Both of his ankles had severe rope burns while his knees had been stabbed repeatedly. Merasmus pulled Jane's boxers down and gave a quick check, quite worried about the red stains on the underwear. He gladly realized said stains were from other injuries and pulled the boxers back into place. At least his assailants hadn't gotten so low as to use genital mutilations against him.

A loud metallic bang caught the wizard's attention, followed by a rolling sound. He heard a grunt from the Bombinomicon, another loud bang and a bucket suddenly flew into the room, bouncing once on the ground before rolling to Merasmus' feet.

"-There, a bucket. Whaddaya say?

-Thank you." The wizard answered with a small, slightly forced smile.

He propped the bucket next to the bed, close to Jane's head. The man shifted again and moaned in pain. Merasmus placed three fingers on his roommate's mouth and set his other hand down on his chest. He began murmuring in Latin and a soft glow enveloped his hands. There was blood in Jane's mouth, throat, lungs and internal bleeding in his ribcage and he had to get the excess out. The Bombinomicon watched over Merasmus' shoulder with curiosity as the wizard slowly moved his hand upwards and his fingers backwards. Blood began oozing out of Jane's mouth, contained in a thin layer of magic giving it the appearance of a thick tentacle snaking its way out between his lips. The wizard carefully lowered the blood into the bucket little by little until he had managed to take all of the excess out of The Soldier's body. The layer of magic popped and the red liquid splashed inside the bucket.

Jane's breathing immediately softened and became clearer as he shifted again. Merasmus put a hand over his roommate's mouth once more and opened it, placing his finger tips against the broken teeth. He murmured softly and soon white began filling the empty slots in the other man's gums. The two parts of his tongue slowly fused back together leaving only a thin, light pink line on the organ and an ever so slightly forked tip. When the wizard was finally done Soldier's mouth was clean from blood and injuries. The man groaned and turned his head, pulling his mouth away from his roommate's slender fingers. The wizard sighed and placed his hands above Jane's thighs making slow, circular motions. The lacerate flesh seemed to melt back together for a moment until the wounds were no more. He continued over his knees and tendons reconstructing his legs as best as he could. Merasmus then moved his hands to Soldier's own, whispering a slightly more complicated spell. The bones in his mutilated fingers immediately began to grow back followed by muscle, fat, flesh, skin and nails until the restored digits weakly twitched against the wizard's palm. Merasmus couldn't help but smile softly. He wasn't a natural born healer; black magic had always been more of his thing and he never would have thought he'd ever find a use to the healing spells he'd been forced to learn as a student. But now, truth be told, he was glad to have learned and remembered them.

Jane groaned loudly and shook his head right and left while trying to move his arms. Merasmus leaned closer and hovered his hands above Soldier's chest. A clear glow emanated from Jane's body accompanied by cracking and ripping sounds. The bones in his entire body could be seen 'crawling' under the skin, melting together back into place. Soldier's face scrunched and he moaned at the unfamiliar and painful sensation, trying to roll over but being kept down by his roommate's magic. The glow disappeared after a few more minutes, leaving Jane's skeleton as good as new. Merasmus slumped back into his chair with a tired sigh.

"-… He gonna be okay?, the Bombinomicon asked as it leaned closer.

-He will need to rest, but he should be alright." Merasmus calmly responded.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly. Why was this happening? Why now? Soldier was already pretty unstable before; he'd been deemed a burden by his own teammates; unceremoniously fired from RED; he'd spent a full week sleeping on the street before Merasmus agreed to take him back into the castle and even then, he wasn't adapted to a life off the battlefield. He was already having all the troubles in the world accepting his new life, and now _this_? Even the cruel wizard couldn't help but feel pity for the poor man. He knew that if it wasn't for him, the Bombinomicon and the pack of raccoons infesting his castle Jane wouldn't have anyone. He was away from his home in the American Midwest, his family and the friends he may have had back then. Even if he had never complained about the loneliness, Merasmus knew just how much it affected him and how much he hated it. He had experienced it himself after all. The only difference was that he had learned to accommodate solitude. Soldier had never.

"… Nh… N-o… Nnh…"

Merasmus raised his head just in time to see Jane's eyes shoot open. He grabbed his arm but the stronger man shoved him away with a cry. Unaware of where he was, he began screaming hysterically as panic took over.

"-Jane, you are home you-

-N-NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON'T- PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I'M JUST A CIVILIAN!"

He thrashed and screamed and cried louder and louder; waves of pain rippling through him unforgiving and unstoppable. A thick neon green mist pulled at his ankles and wrists to keep him pinned against the large mattress as Merasmus approached him. He was crying uncontrollably, snot bubbling out of his nose, his eyes red and his breath ragged.

"N-NO! N-

-JANE DOE; ENOUGH!"

The ghostly voice boomed out of the wizard's chest with great power. It shook the entire castle, rumbling the walls and rolling through Jane's body. The man froze with wide eyes, the shock more than enough for him to empty his bladder. Urine pooled between his thighs as Soldier sobbed and swallowed thickly. His back suddenly arched and he broke into a violent coughing fit forcing Merasmus to release him and hand him the bucket already containing some of his blood. Jane's throat clenched and his entire frame shook as he gagged and threw up. The sound of small hard objects –that were definitely not supposed to be there- hitting the bottom of the bucket could be heard, hardly covered by the sound of thick bile splashing in blood. Soldier tried to breathe through his nose as acid burned his throat but the stench only made him more nauseous. He became light-headed and almost slumped forwards before slender hands grabbed his shoulders to hold him in place. Merasmus was sitting next to him, gently holding him to keep him from falling. Tears; big and round began rolling over Soldier's bruised cheeks and square jaw. He felt unexplainably cold and began shivering and sobbing helplessly. Merasmus retrieved the foul bucket and placed it back on the floor. Jane sobbed and looked up at him through watery eyes which suddenly widened when he came to his senses and recognized the familiar old face. He collapsed against Merasmus, burying his face into the wizard's slim chest to muffle his terrified cries. A gentle hand ran through his short hair, words sweet and warm spoken in a caring tone reached and filled his ears.

"Do not fear, Jane... The castle is safe for you to stay. Nobody can harm you here, especially if I am by your side…"

Soldier sobbed and hiccupped as he clung to Merasmus, shaking in terror. The wizard rubbed his back in a slow, circular motion, looking up to see the Bombinomicon searching through the potions on his desk. It seemed greatly interested in one particular square-shaped phial containing a dark blue liquid. It looked back at the wizard and nudged the bottle carefully.

"-You think this one…?

-Ah, yes." Merasmus responded, reaching out his hand.

The book pushed the potion into his reach until pale fingers closed around it. Jane was still sobbing and shaking when the phial was popped open. The wizard gently pushed him back, tilting his chin up and holding the potion to his lips.

"Here, drink this. It will help."

Soldier tried to read the label on the bottle but he found himself unable to focus on the letters. The liquid had a sweet and pleasant aroma similar to honey that reassured him. He opened his lips and let Merasmus pour the dark blue potion into his mouth, blissfully feeling it wash down the acidic taste of his saliva. The phial was emptied in a few quick gulps and Jane immediately felt a surge of warmth roll from his head down to the very tip of his toes. His body felt numb and he suddenly found it quite hard to keep his eyes open. His arm weakly reached for Merasmus as the wizard laid him on his back gently. He tried to speak but the words only came out as a messy slur.

"Rest, Jane, it will do you good." Merasmus half-assured, half-ordered him.

And for once, Soldier listened. He let his body relax as tears dried on his face, allowing his roommate to wrap him in a thick blanket and place his head on a soft pillow. The pain and nausea were slowly numbed away. His breathe slowed and his limbs became heavy. He weakly squeezed Merasmus' hand, a small sob escaping him as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness. The wizard gently stroked his hand to reassure him and kept murmuring gentle words of encouragement until he was finally asleep. The bruises on Soldier's face slowly began fading and the cuts closing as the second effect of the _Sleep&amp;Heal_ potion kicked in. Merasmus scratched behind his roommate's ear affectionately as the stronger man snored softly.

"Oh, Jane… What have they done to you?"

He sighed and covered Soldier's eyes with his open palm.

"I must know… _**Deos quaeso, ut videa-**_

-Wow wow uh- Wait a second wizard you sure this a good idea?, the Bombinomicon suddenly interrupted, You really wanna do th-

-Do not interrupt me, the wizard suddenly snapped; eyes glowing and baring his teeth, I know the dangers of this spell but this _must be done_!"

The Bombinomicon fell silent and lowered itself down onto the wizard's desk. He'd seen him in this state before and for what he knew, it was better for him to leave the old man to his business.

"_**Deos quaeso, ut videam quo damnato per oculos.**_"

As he ended his sentence Merasmus felt his head starting to swim. White was eating away the edges of his blurred vision as pain blossomed in his temples. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut with a small whimper. The sensation of falling overtook his body before a sudden burst of energy filled his chest leaving him gasping for air. He coughed and wheezed, slowly coming back to his senses. The atmosphere suddenly felt a lot colder.

Merasmus shivered and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his legs and he realized he was sitting on the floor. His legs… A lot thicker, a lot stronger, bare and covered in dark hair and old battle scars.

The spell had worked. He was in Jane's mind.

He was in Jane's mind; in his body; seeing through his eyes; moving with him and feeling everything he felt. This memory in particular was still vivid and fresh. Every detail was clear; from the feeling of cold air to the sensation of being tied up to the sound of… Breathing? Other people? Merasmus felt Soldier shift and raise his head slowly, his breathe quickening in distress.

The entire BLU team surrounded him.


	2. Freaks

**A/N:** Hey! You! Yeah! Be careful, the content ahead is pretty dubious so please read the warnings carefuly. This chapter (as well as the next ones) are probably on the very brink of being rated MA, so if there are any complaints about them being 'too much' for I can understand (and will take the story down).

**Warnings**: Depiction of severe torture, Implied kidnapping of an adult, Beating, Bone breaking, Forced dirty substance swallowing, Interrupted vomiting, Submission, Mouth and tongue mutilation, Finger breaking, Finger removal, Animal fluff, Animal death, Water torture, Suicidal thoughts

...

Soldier shuddered at the feeling of cold air caressing his skin and looked up. The basement was dimly lit by a single light bulb hanging loosely from the ceiling. He was tied by the shoulders and wrists to thick metal pipes that descended into the ground, rough ropes constricting and binding him to the piping painfully. Each of his fingers were neatly separated by pieces of wood held together with string, keeping him from closing his fists. His legs were safely anchored to heavy cement blocks that kept them still and spread. He had been stripped down to nothing but his American-flag-printed boxers and was left there almost naked, cold, shivering, afraid, gagged and surrounded by his enemies.

It was early in the morning; around 7:30 AM when Jane had left the safety of the castle to take Lieutenant Bites and his other raccoons on a walk. He had followed a particular path that led into the small forest just a few meters away from his home. It was a nice place for the raccoons to run around, cool in the heated summer and even providing a small pond of water for them to drink from and swim in. It was also a place Jane enjoyed for its peace and quietness as Teufortians didn't approach the forest, believing it was haunted. After walking under the large trees for half an hour the Soldier had settled down next to the pond, sitting on a large rock to watch his beloved raccoons splash and play in the clear water.

That was all he remembered before receiving a heavy blow to the temple as the animals cried in panic and everything faded to black.

At the time he hadn't been able to see who had bludgeoned him in the head; it had all happened too fast. Now, however, as he saw all the blue uniforms standing tall and menacing around him there was no need to wonder anymore; it was those bastards from BLU. Those disgusting varmints, those… Those…

"Freaks! You guys are fuckin' freaks I'm tellin' ya!"

The boyish voice had caught Jane's attention. He turned and craned his neck to try and see who it belonged to, successfully spotting the BLU Scout. The young man was standing opposite from him and the other mercenaries, facing his teammates with a look of utter disgust painted across his face. By his side stood the BLU Pyro who didn't seem to understand much of what was going on and the BLU Demoman, bottle of Scrumpy in one hand and his grenade launcher in the other.

"-What's the matter Scout? Afraid of a little blood?, the Spy teased with a grin.

-What? No! I ain't afraid of blood!

-Maybe Tiny Scout does not remember how RED Team has humiliated us, Heavy grunted.

-I do, that's not-

-Then why are you walking away now that we can finally pay them back?, the Medic asked proudly standing next to the big Russian, Are you not-

-A _civilian_, guys!, Scout suddenly yelled, He's a civilian just- Common sense; us it! If we torture a civilian we're gonna get in trouble!"

The words echoed through the basement and silenced the other mercenaries for a moment. Demoman took a swig from his bottle of scrumpy and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"-... I say, we just leave the kid out of this, Sniper finally proposed, I don't think he's tough enough for the job.

-**Oui**, I agree with the bushman, Spy said with a smirk, You should go back to your room and play wi**z**h your toys, hm? **Laisse donc les grandes personnes s'amuser entre elles**.

-Don't you use your French on me you- You-!"

Scout shook his head and clenched his fist. He exhaled through his nose loudly, groaned and turned on his heels.

"Come on, Py, we outta here."

As he spoke he grabbed Pyro by the hand and dragged them along towards the door. The firebug followed, unsure of what was happening. Demoman took a second swig before sadly and slowly shaking his head.

"I didn't know ye were like that lads, I didn't know…"

The Scot disappeared through the open door, leaving the six mercenaries with the now fully awakened RED Soldier. The man tensed as he felt six pairs of eyes were laid on him. His body stiffened and he held his breath, shivering slightly.

"Well, well, well… Would you look at that; the maggot's awake!" came a gruff voice.

Before he could even react Jane felt his head being crushed between his BLU double's boot and a metal pipe, mud and dirt being smeared on his cheek.

"Now son, you heard us talkin' didn't cha? You know why you're here, uh?" the Engineer asked as he crouched down next to Jane.

When the man didn't respond because of the gag in his mouth he was given a brutal kick to the head. The RED Soldier groaned and clenched his teeth as he felt his temples ring with pain.

"Answer when you're asked questions!" the BLU Soldier yelled.

The Medic grinned and approached the RED. He held a surgical scalpel in his right hand and absently-mindedly played with it, turning the instrument between his gloved fingers.

"-It seems We forgot to remove the gag, he mused as he pulled on the piece of cloth and slid it out of Jane's mouth, Now this should-

-You fucking bastards!, Jane immediatly spat with rage, You won't get away with this! I'm an American citizen I won't-"

He was cut by a powerful blow to the chest delivered by the BLU Engineer. The Texan raised his wrench again and hit his side with such force it shattered two ribs, making Jane howl in pain as hot tears filled his eyes.

"Tiny baby man is crying like little girl already!", Heavy laughed loudly.

-We are only starting, **Herr** Doe, don't cry just yet, Medic continued with a mocking tone in his voice.

-You filthy German shut your mouth or I will-

-Don't disrespect **doktor**!"

The big Russian slammed his heel down on Jane's leg and effortlessly broke his right shin with a loud, ugly cracking sound. The RED Soldier screamed and convulsed; tears running in burning streams down his cheeks as he watched the open wound bleed abundantly. He sniffled loudly and shook his head, trying to focus on anything but the agonizing pain. The BLU Sniper leaned against the wall next to their prisoner and looked down on him.

"Stop fuckin' cryin' mate what are you? A wimp?"

Jane's guts twisted with hatred and his eyes widened, momentarily forgetting the pain.

"A wimp?! I am an American soldier you worthless piece of garbage I-"

Blood spurted on his chest as his BLU double kicked him in the face and crushed his nose. The impact smashed the RED's head back against the wall and was followed by another.

"You are weak!" the BLU yelled, hitting him again.

He grabbed the back of Jane's head and proceeded to kick his face with each word he spat out.

"A! Soldier! Is! Strong! Therefore! You! Are! Not! A! Soldier!"

The RED tried to scream but found himself unable to do so. His nose was broken and most of his teeth had been knocked out and back into his bleeding mouth. At some point the BLU stopped and Jane immediately opened his mouth to breathe and spit the teeth out; only to have it filled with the other soldier's boot. Dry mud melted with his saliva and mixed with his blood and teeth forming a thick, gruesome mixture that threatened to make him throw up.

"Swallow."

The RED froze at the command. The BLU only pushed the mixture further in his mouth and to his throat.

"I said _swallow_."

Jane tried to bite down but his mangled gums only rubbed with a bloody squish against the boot. A long sigh echoed and the Heavy approached slowly. He was getting rather annoyed by the man's lack of obedience. Without a word he walked to Jane's left side and once more slammed his foot down on the man's leg, breaking his other shin. Jane screamed around the boot in his mouth; convulsing in agonizing pain; crying and sniffling. His entire body shook in terror and his tongue twitched. He swallowed; obedient, choking on the horrible taste and feeling the teeth scrape the back of his throat. The BLU finally removed his foot and blood and brown drool began pouring out of the RED's abused mouth. Jane's back arched; his shoulder lifted and he began coughing violently. He felt bile rise from his stomach before a strong grip clenched around his throat, compressing his esophagus and windpipe.

"You better not throw up now son, the Engineer coldly threatened with his hand around Jane's throat, If you do we'll make you clean it up with your tongue."

The RED shook and gagged; mucus and saliva bubbling at the corner of his lips. His nose was burning with acid and his eyes stung with tears. He swallowed and somehow managed to push his stomach's content down; sending it back where it belonged as he was finally released from the mechanic's grip.

"There, that's an obedient wimp…" the Soldier scoffed.

Jane choked back a sob and weakly sucked in a breath.

"-I'll kill you… I know people… I'll fucking kill every one of you…

-His voice is getting rather annoying, don't you think **docteur**?, the Spy asked with a dubious smile.

-**Ja** I agree with you **Herr** Spy, we should make him shut up." The Medic sneered.

The two men kneeled on either side of their prisoner, one holding his butterfly knife and the other toying with his scalpel. Jane tried to shake his head when they grabbed his face but it was no use. He felt a sharp blade against his lower lip and froze. The instrument easily sliced through the soft flesh, drawing more and more blood each time. Spy pinched the RED's broken nose and waited, patient. When the man opened his mouth to breath he jabbed the tip of his knife into the empty tooth-sockets repeatedly, ripping a cry from his victim. Jane thrashed and squirmed, desperately trying to get rid of the ridiculously huge amount of blood in his mouth. It streamed out of his mouth and onto his chest generously.

"Ah, **Herr **Spy, could you lend me your knife **bitte**? I believe there is an abnormal growth in his mouth."

The Frenchman complied with a smirk, staring straight into the RED's eyes. Medic slid the handle of the butterfly knife under Jane's tongue as his mouth was forced open by Spy. He slid the scalpel in as well, pressing the sharp edge of the blade to the root of his tongue.

"Ah-! 'OH! 'OH 'EASE-! AAAAAH!"

The instrument sliced and cut through the organ effortlessly, guided by the knife's handle. Jane screamed and thrashed as more blood gushed out of the new wound. He was sobbing loudly; blood gurgling in his mouth as his body shook with agonizing pain. He let his head fall back as Medic removed the tools from his mouth, blood and saliva pooling down his chin and neck. A few loud hiccups escaped him before the German rolled his eyes and pulled out the gag he had been keeping in his pocket. He approached the RED and extended his hand, which the man instinctively tried to bite. Jane earned himself another punch to the head and the gag was forced back into his mouth.

Still, he continued to yell and growl even through the cloth. He locked eyes with his BLU double, trying to look as menacing as he could. His fingers twitched. His body trembled with hatred. His jaws clenched. His guts burned. His stomach twisted.

He jumped when the sound of objects falling followed by hissing and scratching disrupted the silence from a nearby room.

"Bloody…"

The BLU Sniper trotted to the door and left the room looking for where the sound came from. Jane tried to watch; he could've sworn he'd heard this particular hissing before; but a sharp and vivid pain made him scream and squeeze his eyes shut. The Engineer had smashed his hand with his wrench, shattering the bones within it. He retrieved a pair of pliers from his belt and closed them around Jane's thumb, slowly twisting it.

"This is for all of mah poor lil' sentries you've been blowin' up."

He bent the finger back violently, ripping the muscle and breaking the bone. The RED screamed through clenched teeth, biting hard into the gag. He trembled and sobbed as the mechanic moved the pliers to his index. He clenched them down and began turning the finger.

"This is for killin' me on the battlefield."

He kept twisting as Jane screamed and violently shook; pulling and turning until the entire finger was ripped off. Blood splattered on the wall and Engineer's clothes. The shorter man smirked and moved to the next finger as he watched his victim cry and choke on his own tears.

"This is for killin' mah friend Solly."

And it went on.

For long, unbearable minutes all Jane could do was scream in agony as his fingers were being broken or removed. His gag had slipped out of his mouth at some point, drenched in blood, drool and snot. He had pissed himself, adding insult to injury. Engineer had even broken his other hand with his wrench to 'finish the job'.

"Fucking wimp pissed himself!" the BLU Soldier laughed as he crushed Jane's head with his boot again.

The RED sobbed loudly, cold and exhausted. Right now he would've given anything to be home; to cuddle with his beloved raccoons and be under the protection and care of Merasmus again. Hell, if he wasn't so proud even death would have suited him.

The door opened and Sniper walked in holding something. He was a mess; his hair undone, his glasses bent, scratches on his forearms and face. Whatever he had been holding suddenly jumped out of his arms and began running everywhere, crashing into things and people. It looked like a grey and black ball of fur adorned with a fluffy tail, pointy ears and four little paws. The small animal bumped into Heavy's leg, turned around, bumped into Spy's leg, bit his ankle and ran away when the man screamed.

"What is this raccoon doing here?!" the Frenchman yelled with rage, bringing a hand to his bleeding wound.

Jane made a small clicking sound with his butchered tongue and the raccoon immediately stopped in its tracks. It searched for the source of the familiar call, noticed Jane and sprinted in his direction, hopping and nestling onto his chest. The RED slowly nuzzled the warm fur with a weak smile. He greeted his beloved pet, forgetting where he was or what was happening for a moment.

"Hello, Lieutenant Bites…"

The raccoon gave his nose a lick and chirped, flicking its ears.

"It's one of 'is pet, Sniper explained, I guess it followed us 'ere when we captured our RED friend in the forest."

Lieutenant Bites nuzzled Jane's cheek with another chirp as the man buried his face in the soft fur. The human smelt of fear, blood and urine. He was weak and hurt. He felt cold. The raccoon nuzzled against his chest with a purr to keep him warm- or so it tried. Lieutenant Bites was brutally kicked away from Jane and crashed against the wall with a pained cry. Before it could get up Sniper's foot landed into its tiny stomach as the bushman proceeded to beat the small animal violently.

"LIEUTENANT BITES! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?! STOP! STOP IT!" Jane screamed hysterically.

He thrashed against his bounds further damaging his broken bones and screamed at the top of his lungs. His eyes were wide and bloodshot; a river of tears streaming down his face as he was forced by Engineer and Heavy to watch the scene.

"Sorry cupcake but we got a no-pet policy here 'n' it's pretty strict." The BLU Soldier half-explained half-mocked.

Lieutenant Bites was crying out every time Sniper's foot hit its stomach, its bones shattering with an ugly crack after each impact. The RED watched in horror as Spy joined in as well, kicking the raccoon in the head and breaking its skull.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE! S-STOP! PLEASE STOP! LIEUTENANT BITES!"

Jane's guts twisted as he heard more crying and bones breaking. His throat was burning but he kept screaming, eyes red and stinging.

"LIEUTENANT BITES! PLEASE-! P-Please don't… Don't hurt-… No… Please… Don't… Lieutenant Bites… N-No…"

It was too late.

The terrified cries of pain had died down and away, stopping completely.

It was too late.

Jane's head dropped; his shoulders shook and jumped as he broke into quiet sobs. The BLUs laughed joyfully. Sniper grumbled when he realized he had gotten raccoon blood on his new shoes. Spy picked the animal carcass by its tail and exited the basement, claiming he was going to make himself a pair of warm furry gloves.

Jane's head was tilted upwards by his BLU double who spat on him ungracefully, barking out more insults and kicking him in the stomach. The broken RED didn't fight back however. He couldn't see the point of fighting back anymore.

"Lieutenant Bites…, he sobbed, Lieutenant Bites… Lieutenant Bites…"

No, he really couldn't see it...

That was probably why he didn't react when his toenails were ripped off one by one. Why he didn't insult Sniper when the bushman slashed his thighs, tendons and forearms with his dirty and rusted kukri. Why he obeyed when he was untied and told to walk on his bleeding legs. Why he cried and sobbed miserably when Medic stabbed his knees punishingly for not being able to stand up; when Heavy punched and kicked him in the chest to break more of his ribs.

Jane let himself be dragged around limply; face flooded with tears, blood and snot. A thick cloth was placed over his face as he weakly lay on his back. Water was poured onto it as he heard the BLU Soldier whisper.

"You better not tell anyone what happened to you cupcake… We know where you live; if you misbehave we'll find you again. We'll torture you; we'll rip out your tongue 'n' make sure you _never speak again_."

Jane screamed when he realized he couldn't breathe.

"_**Wake up!"**_

His lungs were on fire; his broken nose compressed under the soaked cloth.

"_**Hey! Is time to wake up!"**_

He felt his nerves bursting; a variety of emotions taking over all at once. He wanted to kill the BLUs. He wanted to hold Lieutenant Bites. He wanted Merasmus to tell him he would be okay. He wanted to be home. He wanted to destroy everything his captors loved. He wanted to wrap himself in a warm blanket and sit by the fireplace with the raccoons, the Bombinomicon and Merasmus –with his loved ones.

"_**WIZARD! WAKE UP!"**_

He wanted his miserable life to end.

...

The green glow abruptly left Merasmus' eyes as the wizard gasped sharply and loudly. He was sweating and shaking from head to toe; breathe ragged and fingers clawing at the mattress helplessly. Every single one of Jane's pains; his feelings and emotions had shot through him as if he had been the one in the hands of the BLUs- and it had left quite a mark.

"Oh God… O-Oh God…"

Merasmus brought a trembling hand to his chest and tried to calm his racing heart. The Bombinomicon was floating next to him in silence, only daring to speak when the wizard was finally starting to relax.

"You-uh… You were screaming, so I woke you up…" it explained nervously.

Merasmus shuddered and shook his head.

"You did good…"

He wiped his sweaty forehead and sighed, leaning forwards. It was already dark outside.

"-For how long have I been in a trance?

-2 Hours." The book responded.

Oh. It had felt a lot longer. A lot longer… Merasmus gently stroked Jane's hair and felt him relax at the familiar touch. He leaned in, pressing his forehead to the Soldier's, closing his eyes.

"I am so sorry Jane… I wish I had been there… I wish… I wish I would have protected you..."

He squeezed his roommate's hand and stayed there for a moment, holding him and remembering everything that had happened. He had been too busy with healing Soldier to notice the lack of furry beast trying to tear his ankle to fleshy shreds. Lieutenant Bites… He had to admit he was going to miss the dirty fur ball… How dared they; killing him just for the sake of further breaking Jane's mind?! How dared they even raise a hand against such a helpless animal?! Even _he_, a cruel and heartless ancient magician made sure the goats he used in his sacrifices were old and went away painlessly...

The words from the BLU Soldier suddenly rolled back into his mind and his fists clenched, small sparks of magic emanating from his body. Merasmus carefully released Jane and rose from his seat.

"They may know where you live, but they won't come back ever again, I can promise you... They will not find you... _Never.._."

He turned to the Bombinomicon, eyes glowing green.

"Watch over him while I am gone. I will come back as soon as I am done with my task."

The enchanted book couldn't even respond before the wizard vanished in a large swirl of neon green and black smoke, leaving the room silent aside for Jane's soft snoring.

The BLUs had definitly picked the wrong victim.


	3. Roommates

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews, it really means a lot to me! I'm so glad people like this half-assed fic; really I thought it was just boredom thrash! Anyway, again, thank you!

**Warning(s):** Magic torture, Forced fluid expulsion, Severe bone breaking, Finger breaking and twisting, Limbs breaking, Skin/Flesh tearing, Original Character (not center of the chapter)

"_**ALERT! ALL RED MERCENARIES MUST DEFEND THE BLU BASE! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! ALL RED MERCENARIES MUST DEFEND THE BLU BASE! ALERT! ALL RED-**_"

Alan jolted awake and jumped out of his bunk as the speakers screeched; heart pounding with the sudden outburst of adrenaline. He fumbled in panic with the bed sheets for a good minute, stumbled out of bed and to the door of his room and slammed it open with a cry. Scout ran by and he grabbed the boy's shoulder, his brain still half asleep despite the ambient panic.

"W-Wha'**z** happenin'?!" he asked with a slurred yet panicked voice.

Being woken up at 3 a.m. by the Administrator screaming hysterically through the speakers was definitely not something he was used to. And it wasn't pleasant, either.

"We have to defend the BLU's base!", The Bostonian responded before freeing his shoulder from the Alaskan, "Hurry up and grab your stuff!"

"- Wha-… W-Wait; the _BLU base?!_ You mean BLU as in our enemies?! Why the fuck would we-?!

-Whatever angry old woman says, we do." Heavy grunted; probably still sleepy as well.

Alan turned around and bumped into the large Russian who had just retrieved Sasha from her tiny bed. He stepped back and watched Heavy and Scout rush outside to join whoever was already ready. The Alaskan stood silent and confused for a moment before returning inside his room, shoving his red jacket over his shoulders, placing his helmet on his head, safely clipping the straps and zipping up his thick leather boots.

Alan had joined RED less than a month ago to replace their previous Soldier. He hadn't been told much about the job; just that he would have to shoot some guys dressed in blue out in the desert and try to stay alive. But he had definitely not been told he was gonna have to get up at such hours to defend said guys-dressed-in-blue's base.

Medic ran past his room, stopped in his tracks and took a few steps back when he noticed the Alaskan was still there.

"-**Herr** Bennett, hurry up **bitte**! Everyone iswaiting!

-Ah- Uh- Yes!"

Alan grabbed his rocket launcher and hoisted it on his shoulder with a grunt before exiting his room and following the doctor.

"… Doc, I don't get it. Why'd we have to help the BLUs?, he asked, Aren't we like… Killing each other 24/7?

-**Ja**… **Aber**, if the Administrator is asking us to help them, then what is attacking their base is probably a threat for us as well.

-Really? That's possible?

**-Ja. **When Grey Mann attacked our base with his army of robots she ordered the BLU Team to help us, **und** they immediately did.

-Oh, whoa..."

He hadn't read the entire contract upon joining RED, but Alan was pretty sure he had never signed the "I agree to get up at ungodly hours to fight an unknown threat in order to protect the enemy team" clause.

…

The BLU Engineer felt his heart pounding in his chest as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He dashed through a first hallway, turned right into a second and rushed down the staircase four steps at a time. He reached his workshop and kicked the door open before slamming it shut behind him.

_No. No. No._

He fumbled with the lock; fingers shaking and breathe ragged; unable to concentrate on his task of locking the goddamn door. How could this be happening?! It was nowhere near Halloween; it wasn't even a freackin' full moon! Why was he here?! Why was he _in the fucking base_?!

_Oh god. Oh god. Oh dear god._

Slow footsteps echoed outside of the workshop and Engie felt his heart stop. He watched, horrified, as the door knob slowly turned with a light creak. Without thinking any further the mechanic slammed himself against the door and began screaming from the top of his lungs as tears rolled down his face abundantly.

_Go! Go away! Just fucking go you sick bastard!_

It lasted for long minutes; Engineer could feel a force pressing insistently against the door and every time he would shove himself back against the piece of wood with a sharp cry, crying and begging for it to go away. He was terrified to his core; shaking uncontrollably and screaming until his throat felt like it was on fire.

If the door opened, he was fucked.

…

_There had been an explosion in the respawn room loud enough to wake up the entire base and everyone had of course rushed over to see what was going on, only to fall in Merasmus' trap. They had arrived unarmed and still in their pajamas in the room full of destroyed machines and equipment to find the wizard looking around quietly. They had starred at him for a moment in utter confusion, unsure what to do or say. They had stayed silent until Heavy had decided to take matter in his own hands and kick the wizard out. And that was it. That was it. That was the exact moment everything had flipped._

_The Administrator had yelled for them to stay away from the wizard; to run from him because he had taken respawn down by destroying the machines; but it was too late._

_A flash of blinding green light; words yelled in Latin and Heavy was suddenly floating two feet off the ground. Blood had immediately spurted out of his mouth, ears, nose and eyes in terrifyingly large and powerful streams. The man had screamed, kicked and flailed desperately to no avail. After barely seconds a darker and thicker fluid had oozed out of his orifices as his veins, arteries and muscle tissue were turned to liquid. Heavy had then started throwing up violently; first remains of his previous meal; then blood; then bile. Then a yellow mush had escaped his mouth in enormous chunky globes as even his fat was being forced out of his convulsing body. It had all been terrifying; the stench; the sight; the complete lack of emotion on the wizard's face…_

_The whole ordeal had been over in less than a minute. Merasmus had dropped the lifeless and empty corpse –that looked more like a sack of skin barely containing the bones and organs- to the floor for everyone to see and contemplate. Then he had pronounced those dreadful words; a single sentence that had draped the remaining 8 mercenaries in a veil of panic and terror._

"_Run, hide, for every one of you I find shall meet a fate far worse than what you have witnessed."_

…

The pushing suddenly stopped and the workshop returned to a silence only disrupted by Engineer's racing heartbeat. The mechanic took a few steps back from the door, trembling violently from head to toe and picked up his wrench which was lying on his work desk. He approached the door, holding out a hand, shaking, sweating, holding up his weapon, finger tips barely brushing the door knob before he firmly gripped it. He didn't even need to turn it for the door to open however. A blast; powerful like nothing Engineer had seen before tore the door from its hinges, shattering pieces of the wall around it. The Texan screamed as he was blown away as well and crashed back first against the wall. The impact was so hard it pushed the air out of his lungs leaving him lying on the floor gasping and lightheaded, his ears ringing with pain. He coughed, wheezed and pushed on his elbows to try and sit up until he realized his body was not responding anymore. The parasite noise in his ears finally stopped and he heard a soft sound; short and even.

Merasmus' breathing.

Before Engineer could utter a word he found himself floating off the ground, much like Heavy had barely minutes ago. He tried to scream but his throat was dry and clenched tight. No blood spurted out of his body, no; instead his arms were both brought in front of him by thick tendrils of magic mist so he could clearly see them. Merasmus slowly raised his hand and began curling his fingers back towards his open palm. Engineer's fingers then began moving as well; but to his horror they were going the other way. Instead of curling towards his palm, they were being pulled back against the back of his hand. He thrashed and whimpered; his eyes suddenly widened and his mouth opened wide in a silent scream when all 10 of his fingers broke with a disgusting crack. Engineer kicked the air and fought back the tears as best as he could; shaking his head and clenching his eyes shut as Merasmus made sure to make his fingers twist at 180 degrees.

"W-Why are you- Why- A-Are you- Why are you doing t-this-?!" Engineer managed out, gasping and hiccupping.

Merasmus didn't respond, instead flicking his wrist upwards while uncurling his fingers. Engineer screamed again as his hands were pulled back. His muscles ripped and the bones broke easily, his wrists turning purple almost immediately after. The mechanic sobbed and coughed as the magical tendrils pulled his arms straight. Merasmus quietly looked around before extending his hand towards Engineer's tool box, bringing it in the air just above the man's arms.

"Wait no don't-! Don't-! GH-AAAAAAH!"

The heavy metal object was slammed down on his limbs and almost ripped off his forearms –who were now only connected to his upper arms by strings of flesh and muscle. They hung limply as the man cried louder and louder, the pain strong and vivid coursing through his entire body. He shook and gasped and hiccupped in terror. His shoulders suddenly jolted back as he felt the tendrils pull on them and before he could even beg for Merasmus to stop both of them were entirely dislocated with a hideous crack.

"S-Stop… , he gasped, Please, stop, e-enough…"

Engineer felt himself being slowly lowered to the ground; his feet barely brushed against it and for a split second he thought the magician might finally be showing him some mercy. Of course, he was wrong. Merasmus brutally slammed the screaming man against the ceiling, dropped him on the floor before slamming him up again. Engineer felt blood trickle down his face and neck as the back of his head hit the ceiling. Even more was dripping from his nose and mouth. He felt dizzy; everywhere hurt and his arms were limply hanging from his sides, like those of a ragdoll. Merasmus lowered him once more and kept him floating upside-down in mid-air.

The bone breaking just seemed to go on and on forever, reducing Engineer to a crying and terrified mess. His feet were both twisted 180 degrees and his knees were bent back in such a way that his toes could have easily touched his waist. Even his vertebras had been either broken or dislocated for most of them. Engineer felt like a broken toy in the hands of an abusive child.

"S-Stop it… Stop… Playing…"

His nostrils were filled with blood due to his position and his head was spinning so bad he felt on the brink of passing out. For a moment he considered trying to swallow his own tongue to choke on it and kill himself; before he heard footsteps. They were quick and unsteady, coming from the staircase but were just enough to make hope flow back through Engineer again. The mechanic kicked and flailed despite his broken bones, calling out for whoever had come back to rescue him.

"Help me!, he screamed, Help me! H- _AAGH-! AAAAAAAH_!"

Engineer's middle suddenly felt like it was on fire. He screamed and cried; realizing the tendrils had wrapped around his shoulders and waist and were pulling with incredible strength. His skin began to tear and blood pearled and stained his white undershirt. His flesh, his muscles, everything was being stretched far beyond what a regular human could take. Engineer screeched in burning agony, trembling and convulsing with shock until a loud snap could be heard. The mechanic's body was torn apart in half sending blood and guts flying across the room as Merasmus tossed the corpse away unceremoniously.

The sound of a heavy metallic object falling on the ground caught his attention and the wizard slowly turned around with a small sight. The BLU Pyro was standing in the doorway in a blue unicorn onesie with their gasmask still on, shaking slightly. Their fingers were clenched but the axe they had previously been holding had been dropped in shock. A small, muffled cry escaped the filter of the mask as he firebug stared at Engineer's corpse.

They were too late.

Merasmus took a step forwards but before he could do anything a hand emerged from the dark to grabbed Pyro and dragged the fire lover all the way up the stairs and into the corridor.

Scout was pale and sweating. He was still barefoot and only wore a baseball t-shirt and a black shorts as pajamas; however he had retrieved his shotgun and held it in his left hand while his winger was unsafely tucked in his pocket. He clenched Pyro's wrist harder and dragged his friend all the way to the rec room, slammed the door shut behind them and guided the firebug to a narrow window situated at the top of the wall. It didn't have a handle or anything to open it, so the runner aimed at it with his weapon and shot right through the thin glass panel which cracked and shattered. He grabbed a chair and placed it against the wall, climbed onto it and punched the remaining glass away. Then he jumped off and turned to Pyro.

"Hurry up 'n' climb out okay? The Administrator has probably sent the RED to help us so if you can get to them it'll be alright."

Pyro looked down at Scout, then the window, then the corridor before making a small concerned sound. The Bostonian shook his head and tried his best to smile despite the fear freezing him in place.

"-Don't worry about the others, I'll go get them once you're safe.

-... Mphphise?

-…Yeah, promise." He answered with a weak smile.

The firebug sighed and climbed onto the chair then out the window, trying their best not to cut themselves on the remaining glass shards. Scout watched the firebug roll out through the window and heard a soft _thump_ as Pyro fell on the ground outside.

"-You're alright?

-Mphmh!" came the muffled response.

Scout sighted in relief. He tightened his grip on his shotgun, turned around and froze.

He was there.

Merasmus was floating in the corridor surrounded by a thin mist, his glowing eyes not leaving Scout's frame as he stayed completely still. The boy shuddered and took a step back, aiming the shotgun straight at the wizard.

"Get the fuck out of here you twisted bastard!, he shouted, This gun is loaded and I won't be afraid to use it!"

He took another step back and starred at the old man with defiance. At first Merasmus didn't do anything. He only eyed the weapon with half-lidded green eyes, silently floating above the ground as his arms hung limply from his sides. Then something happened; a flash of light emanated from the shotgun; the metal began heating rapidly, melting and bending into impossible ways and shapes and Scout was forced to throw it away as it burned his hands. He tried to reach for his winger but before he could do anything Merasmus raised his right arm and an invisible force sent the boy crashing through the window.

Scout shouted and cried out as he felt his left calf being sliced into by a shard of glass. He rolled on the ground, his fall broken by a thick layer of wet grass. Blood stained the soil, dripping from the wound as Scout tried to stand. He wobbled unsteadily on his legs and fell back again, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. He was picked up and held against Pyro's chest.

"Py?!, he gasped, What are you doing here?! I told you to-!"

He was cut by a loud crashing sound that came from inside the rec room. Without answering him Pyro squeezed Scout tighter and made a run for it, dashing across the grass and mud only guided by the moonlight. They had heard the boy yell after Merasmus and decided to stick around a little longer, just in case the runner needed any help –which turned out to be a good decision, in the end. Scout allowed himself to be carried away from the base, pressing his shaking frame against Pyro a bit more and looking up at the night sky. He wasn't sure if it was his eyes playing a trick on him or if it was the real thing, but at this right moment he could've sworn it had a very light tint of metallic green instead of the usual black. There were small flashes here and there of lighter green and even the moonlight seemed to have a tint different from usual. Scout was interrupted in his thoughts when he felt Pyro suddenly speed up. The boy looked away from the sky and up ahead, only to see the RED mercenaries running in their direction.

"Oh god, Scout sighed in relief, Oh god, finally…"

This was the first and he hoped last time he was so happy to see those bastards from Reliable Excavation Demolition. Pyro caught up with them soon enough and released Scout, sliding their arm under the boy's to hold him up and both BLUs approached the armed REDs with caution.

"Administrator told us there was problem. What is happening?" Heavy asked his voice a low, almost threatening rumble erupting from his large chest.

Scout felt himself shudder. He looked back, slowly, twisting his upper body to better face the Builder's League United's base. He raised a shaky arm and pointed to a sudden burst of light flashing through one of the building's window.

"M-Merasmus…" The boy began shakily before sucking in a breath to compose himself "He's attacking us- He took respawn down and he's trying to kill all of us…"

A small whimper escaped the filter of the BLU Pyro's mask and Scout slowly shook his head.

"He got our Engineer and Heavy already."

The REDs stared at each other in disbelief, unsure if the BLU boy was pulling a trick on them or if he was serious. A blinding lightning bolt of green energy erupting from inside the building and shattering several windows however made them go for the latter.

"Okay, wait, we're in the middle of July right? What is that old creep doing here in the freakin' summer?, the RED Scout finally asked resting his bat on his shoulder, Shouldn't he be hiding his ugly face in a crypt or something?"

His BLU counterpart shook his head once more and jumped a little as he heard a chilling screech echo inside the base.

"-Like I knew! He just- He appeared out of nowhere, wrecked the respawn room and started killing everyone! We didn't even do anything!

-Oh come on, Merasmus _never_ attacked anyone from RED or BLU outside of the battlefield; you guys must've done something that set him off!

-I told you we fucking didn't-

-I might have an idea." The RED Engineer suddenly interrupted.

The Texan pushed the RED Scout aside to stand in front of the two other enemy mercenaries, his toolbox propped up on one broad shoulder while he held his wrench tightly in his other hand. He pushed his hardhat up a little and the lenses of his goggles shined with the moonlight.

"-There might be a reason for that old freak to be suddenly rampaging through your base… , the mechanic began but his voice sounded hesitant.

-Go on…, the BLU Scout indulged him to continue, half-curious half-worried.

-I shouldn't be talking about this, but have _any_ of you guys at BLU had _anything_ to do with our previous Soldier recently? You know, Jane Doe?"

The wounded Scout paled. Did they know? Oh god. The RED Sniper shook his head and sighed.

"-The old hag said not to talk about that…, he almost scolded the Engineer who turned around to look back at him.

-I know what she said, he replied, but she also wants us to kick that wizard back to his castle and-

-We did." The Scout abruptly cut him.

The Texan turned his attention back to the BLU boy, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"-… I-I mean, the rest of the guys did. Pyro, Demo and I walked away when they brought him in…

-… What happened, exactly? What did your team do to him?" Engineer asked as the tone of his voice suddenly grew darker and more worried.

Scout hesitated for a moment, looking at his feet, the BLU Pyro, his feet, the BLU Pyro again and finally back at Engineer.

"…They… They tortured him." he answered as his voice dropped to barely a murmur.

Scout nervously leaned against Pyro, carefully avoiding eye contact with the other mercenaries as the silence suddenly grew heavier and heavier. The REDs stared at him with grim faces –except for the new Soldier who seemed rather confused. The Spy slowly shook his head, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he exhaled loudly.

"-Ye sick bastards… Demoman grunted, gritting his teeth.

-… What happened afterwards?, Engineer asked with a hint of worry, Did they kill him?"

He knew Medic had removed the respawn implant –as well as the übercharge implant and all the other devices jabbed into his heart- from Jane after the man's dismissal. If the injuries the BLUs had inflicted on him had been too serious then he was most likely long gone. But the boy shook his head –the mechanic wasn't sure if it was to his relief or horror.

"T-They knocked him out and put him in his RED uniform, the Scout explained extremely nervous, then they put him in our Engie's truck and dropped him near Teufort so the villagers would find him-

-And 'help him', **oui**, _how nice_ of them…" the Spy snorted as he brought a cigarette to his lips.

The Teufort villagers were lead-poisoned idiots with a pronounced love for hanging and an unhealthy fear of the BLU and RED mercenaries. It was quite easy to guess how things were going to end for the Soldier if these crazies found him.

"… B-But what does this have to do with Merasmus?" the wounded Scout asked, still as confused as before.

The RED Engineer leaned closer, lowering his head and looking straight at the boy.

"-Where did your team capture our Soldier? , he slowly asked.

-Near Merasmus' castle but-

-And has is never occurred to you Merasmus always targeted him first when he appeared on the point?

-Yeah maybe b-

-Have you never found it odd how he was the only one Merasmus would directly talk to during battles? How-

-Just get to the point already! The boy interrupted.

-They were roommates; roommates that got along well but fought a lot and tended to solve their problems on the battlefield., Engineer finally explained, Jane admitted it to us a few weeks back. He told us every single time Merasmus has attacked us was because he was trying to get to him but we were standing in his way. This is why the Administrator dismissed him; because Merasmus' constant apparitions kept us from fighting each other and messed up her plans. And since she couldn't control him nor keep him away, she figured the only way to get rid of him was to get rid of our Soldier. She forced Medic to alter Jane's medical records and deem him unfit for combat and then she fired him, forcing us to keep the secret and not informing the Builder's League United. We don't know exactly what happened to him afterwards, but I guess he returned to Merasmus until your team caught him."

The Texan's voice had become dark, filled with both hatred and regrets.

The BLUs stood in silence, staring at the mechanic and unable to pronounce a word. Pyro shivered slightly, pulling Scout closer and the boy gently rubbed their back and squeezed their hand reassuringly. Neither of them dared to break the heavy silence, unsure what to say or do and waiting for the REDs to do… Well, _something_. The two surviving BLUs were too shocked to do anything anyway.

As if hearing their thoughts, the new RED Soldier suddenly pushed his comrades aside, puffing out his chest proudly and grabbing his rocket launcher.

"-Who cares why that witch is there anyway?, he asked looking around at his colleagues, All I know is we gotta kick her ass 'n' that's just what I plan to do!" he claimed in a confident tone.

-Herr Bennett, I believe you shouldn't-" Medic began but his words went unheard.

With a mighty battle cry Alan charged towards the BLU base, fearless, fierce and most likely far too naïve for it to be healthy. He pounced forwards before his head brutally collided with an invisible wall, sending him flying a few feet back in a flash of vivid green light. The Alaskan whimpered miserably and curled on his side, bringing his knees to his chest and covering his bleeding nose with his hands. Medic sighed and walked up to the sobbing wreck to inspect the damage. The BLU Scout meanwhile had starting palpating the area in front of him, easily finding the invisible wall. He quickly realized the more pressure he put against it the more it resisted him and pushed him back. Wherever he touched he could see green filaments of energy sizzle around his finger tips, quite similar to those of a plasma ball. The RED Engineer approached and the boy looked up at him, his eyes wide and his face white as a sheet.

"He knew you were gonna come, he whispered, H-He knew, so he… H-He…"

The Texan silently shook his head, expression full of apologies.

"He trapped you in the base with him."


	4. Hellhound

**Warning(s)**: Skinning, Limb removal, Eye trauma, Rotting body, Stomach bursting, Satanic ritual, Mentions of Hell, Beast from Hell, Implied person being eaten alive

Medic tightened his grip on his Amputator and sucked in a long, deep breathe. He listened carefully for any sound, his heart thumping in his ears as his fingers trembled and he swallowed thickly. There were no noises; not even a voice to guide him across the dark hallway. All the German could do was keep a hand on the wall and walk; slow and hesitant. He walked a few more meters down the large corridor before stepping in a dark lukewarm puddle of liquid, soaking his white sock. He bent down to dip two fingers in the unknown fluid, brought them up to his nose and took a long sniff: human blood. He knew this smell all too well and judging by its temperature and consistency, it was still fresh.

He was getting closer.

Medic picked up the pace and swiftly crossed the hallway in a few quiet steps. He spotted a line of light on the floor coming from the crack under a nearby door and approached carefully, placing his hand on the smooth wooden planks. A blood curdling scream suddenly pierced the silence and he had to keep himself from crying out. He jumped back and held the saw in front of himself defensively as the howling and shouting continued relentlessly. When nobody actually came after him he approached the door again, slowly turning the knob and peering inside the room.

Spy was lying just in his line of sight, sprawled out on the floor in a large puddle of blood. His priceless pajamas were torn apart and soaked in gore. His eyes were rolled back as his mouth hung wide open, blood and drool pouring down his chin as he breathed weakly. But his grotesque position wasn't the worst to the good doctor, no. The worst was his skin or, rather, his complete lack of skin. The Frenchman was left with his flesh bare; every single movement shooting like a vivid fire down his mangled mess of a body. He squirmed and whimpered helplessly, his salty tears burning him even further.

Medic held his breath and carefully leaned forwards as another scream echoed. Merasmus came into his line of view; stepping forwards without noticing the spying doctor. He was busy tearing the BLU Sniper's limbs apart as the gangly Australian screamed and thrashed in his grip. A green tendril slithered around the man's thin waist and began crushing the bone effortlessly, spilling blood across the cold floor. The sharpshooter hiccupped and shouted as his left arm popped out of its socket and the skin all around his shoulder tore and ripped. The bone broke with a disgusting crack and his limb was tossed away next to Spy who flinched and cringed, whimpering softly.

As the wizard went for his victim's other arm Medic decided it was time to attack. He burst into the room and went straight for Merasmus. The old man heard his desperate cry and turned around, a fraction of seconds too late. The doctor put all of his weight on one leg and leapt forwards; smashing his shoulder right into the wizard's solar plexus and pushing him hard into the wall, forcing the air out of his lungs and leaving him gasping. Without a second of hesitation Medic swung his saw and aimed for his opponent's throat with a smirk. The cold, rusted metal sliced into Merasmus' flesh like butter, painting the wall with warm blood as the man gasped for air.

"Die, **Schweinhund**!"

Medic swung the blade again and slashed his chest open; stabbing into the cavity repeatedly as more and more gore gushed out of the wound. He wasn't aiming for any organ in particular. His only focus was to cause as much pain, blood loss and general damage as possible. Merasmus coughed and whizzed; blood gurgling in his throat. The blade was brought up to his face and cut easily into his thin skin and right eye. A green fluorescent fluid dripped out of the mutilated organ before turning to steam and vanishing into thin air. Medic was hysterical, screaming as he stabbed and sliced and cut into Merasmus' flesh.

He had to stop him.

For Dell. For Misha.

The wizard coughed and spat out more blood, slumping back weakly against the wall. Medic dropped his saw and ran for Sniper and Spy. He helped the Australian up as the man winced and cried; trying desperately to stand on a broken waist and dislocated legs. They took one step further but the sharpshooter fell over and clung to the doctor with his only arm, crying softly as his body shook in agony. Medic grabbed Spy's skinless hand and tried to help him up but the simple contact had the rogue screaming and trying to jerk his hand away; convulsing violently.

"-**H-Herr** Sniper, **herr** Spy; **schnell** we must-

-You… Foolish… _**MORTALS**_!"

Before he could move the slightest Medic felt a powerful blast force him to drop Sniper; sending him flying across the room and crashing into the wall. Merasmus had gotten up and his entire form was draped in bright light. His wounds seemed to be healing rapidly and by themselves, with the exception of his right eye which he kept tightly closed.

"_MERASMUS_ is _IMMORTAL_! How _DARE YOU_ believe you could _DEFEAT ME_ with a _MERE WEAPON OF YOURS_?!"

Medic groaned and got up, wincing as he felt blood trickle down the back of his neck -his head had hit the wall pretty hard, and there was probably an ugly open wound back there. His Amputator was floating next to Merasmus in mid-air. Light was being reflected off of the blade and partially blinded him, forcing him to squint his eyes. He tried to move but a sudden; vivid pain in his chest and a force pushing him back stopped him. He trembled; looking down; feeling blood soak his pajamas.

Medic's saw had brutally impaled him into the wall; piercing through his abdomen and having probably cut through multiple vital organs. He coughed and moaned in pain, watching as Merasmus approached him silently.

"**Tabescet****caro****tui****animam tuam****et****non****est pax**." The wizard murmured slowly, tracing ancient arcane in the air.

A putrid smell filled the doctor's nose, followed by a strong nausea and excruciating pain shooting from his chest. He thrashed and whimpered before finally gaining enough courage to look down. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream of horror.

His flesh was rotting away, falling off of him in chunks. His skin was slowly turning black before peeling off of his body. Unable to even cry he tried to reach for the weapon and pull it out but found himself unable to. The flesh was falling off from his fingers in slimy globes of red and pink; leaving only yellowing bones. He coughed again and retched, throwing up violently as his body convulsed.

On the other side of the room Sniper had crawled up to Spy with his good arm, shaking and trembling wildly. His eyes were red and full of tears, his face white as a sheet. The rogue laid bloodshot eyes on him and began to speak as his voice was cracking and barely audible.

"It… Hurts…, he rasped, Hu-rts… Kill me… Hurts… Kill… Me… Please… Hurts…"

Sniper's lower lip trembled as big, round tears rolled over his cheeks.

"I'm sorry…, he whimpered pressing his lips to Spy's pulsing throat, I'm so sorry…"

A horrific scream echoed as Medic's eyes began to melt into a mush which dripped out of their sockets and down his slowly rotting face. He was barely conscious by now as his brain had also started decomposing and could only produce strangled, gurgling sounds. Merasmus sighed and raised a hand, murmuring yet another silent incantation. Medic felt his stomach rumble and start to swell. He brought a fleshless hand to it weakly; feeling the skin crack and tear. His belly grew harder and rounder with every second until it suddenly burst, spraying blood, bile, organ and other unmentionables across the floor and _finally_ killing the German.

The wizard briefly admired his handy work before turning towards his two other victims; only to find one of them was already dead. Sniper was leaning over Spy's form, trembling all over with his eyes full of tears. Blood was pouring in steady streams down his chin as he had just taken a huge bite out of the rogue's throat; ripping out his carotid and ending his sufferings in the only way he could at the moment.

"You can't hurt him where he is now, he said defiantly, not anymore…"

Merasmus didn't respond and approached in silence. He opened his wounded eye, revealing it had been cut in half and damaged far beyond repair. His top eyelid fluttered and flickered over the split organ; drops of intraocular fluid, blood and liquid magic rolling over his bony cheek. Sniper felt his body stiffen and go rigid as the wizard stopped just before him. Merasmus brought his fingers up his own face, poking at his mutilated eyeball. He plunged them into the socket without even flinching; pulling out the now useless organ easily and twisting the optical nerve until it snapped. Sniper starred and began to breathe heavily. He tried to back away; squirming; crying out and shaking his head as Merasmus reached a hand towards his face -to no avail. The old man stuck his thumb into his left eye and slid two fingers in his right eye socket, wiggling them in as deep as he could. The Australian screamed and tried desperately to jerk his head away as he felt gore gush down his cheeks and chin. He was being completely blinded, which only reinforced the booming waves of pain rolling inside him and added up to the horror.

With a sudden, violent tug Merasmus managed to snap the optical nerve and extracted the eyeball from the Aussie's skull. He turned it over, inspecting it briefly before pushing it into his own empty socket. The nerves instantly began to reconnect; the foreign eye turning around randomly before Merasmus squeezed it shut, pushing it back and settling it in its right place. When he opened it again the blue/grayish pupil took on a vivid green color and he was able to see through his new eye perfectly. This was definitely a useful spell.

When the wizard finally returned his attention to the Sniper, he suddenly realized the sharpshooter was dead –from blood loss probably; or maybe a cardiac arrest somewhere during the 'eye-extraction-process'.

Oh well.

Only one more to go.

The wooden cupboard slid across the floor with a shrill squeal, finding its place in front of the locked door. A collection of heavy, thick chemistry books were thrown atop it followed by a chair, more books and pretty much anything the BLU Soldier and Demoman could find. They barricaded the entrance to the Scotsman's room in haste, hoping it would be enough to keep the crazed wizard out. Demoman suddenly stopped stacking the items, slowly lifting his hand and signing for his friend to stop as well.

"-Solly wait…, he whispered.

-What's wrong?

-Listen… It stopped…"

The American went silent, listened and shuddered. The demolition man was right; the screams they had been hearing for the last ten minutes had stopped. As a few more seconds passed, soft fabric could be heard rustling in the corridor and the two held their breath. Soldier's face went white and he backed away, grabbing a table lamp, ripping the cable out of the wall and holding it in front of himself defensively.

"I-It's him; he's coming!"

The Demoman waved a hand and shushed his friend.

"Shut up!" He whisper-shouted.

The Scotsman leaned towards the door slowly, kneeling to be at eye level with the lock. He peered through it carefully and was met with a vivid, neon green pupil already looking inside from the other side. The Demoman yelped and jumped back. He grabbed a chemistry book and held it up, shouting for the other BLU but it was too late. Their makeshift barricade did nothing to keep Merasmus from busting into the room; the door, books, chair and every other item being blown away and the heavy cupboard being pushed back a few feet by a powerful blast as the wizard shouted an ancient spell. Demoman was struck in the head by one of the flying book and stumbled back with a groan. Soldier immediately stood in front of him protectively and held the lamp up, trying to look as threatening as possible –which, considering the weapon he had picked and his opponent, was quite ineffective.

Merasmus' eyes filled with green light dangerously and the two mercenaries swallowed hard, sweat rolling down the back of their necks. They stayed completely still, only flinching when the wizard raised a hand and began to speak in Latin again. Demoman immediately charged him; crying out and slamming his chemistry book across the old man's face before the light struck him. He was thrown against the wall with such force and speed the brutal collision actually knocked him out and left him unconscious.

"TRAVISH!" The BLU Soldier shouted but his friend didn't respond, lying completely limp.

Something slithered around his throat and before he knew it the American was chocking and being pushed back against the wall. He thrashed violently and glared at the wizard; groaning and spitting furiously as the man approached, looming over him, observing him from all his height and leaning menacingly close. Merasmus reached a hand out and gripped his victim's throat, pressing his square black nails into the skin. One squeeze and surely, the man would be dead.

But Merasmus stopped.

And starred.

He observed that strong, square jaw clench and unclench; those deep blue eyes shining ever so gently and the oh-so-familiar face he was so attached to. This man… This man was Jane. This man was Jane; or rather he was identical to him; from his love for 'The Great Free Land of America' down to his physical appearance. If it wasn't for the blue attire and the look of hatred painted on the man's face, Merasmus could've just sworn he was holding his precious RED Soldier.

But unfortunately he was not; and he knew he could definitely not harm someone who looked like _his Jane _so much. Not himself.

With a shiver the wizard drew his hand back all the while keeping magical control over Ja- over the BLU Soldier's body, and picked up a book lying nearby. He meticulously ripped out a page and brought his own thumb to his mouth, biting it hard until he managed to draw blood. The American starred at him in confusion but stayed alert nonetheless.

"-What are you doing?! … Hey! Answer me when I speak you worthless piece of magic trash-

-SILENCE!" the wizard shouted aggressively.

He began tracing a large circle in the middle of the page with his own blood before adding lines, symbols and other scribbles the Soldier could not see. When he was finished he set the page down and took a few steps back, revealing the pentagram he had expertly drawn.

"What's that? A kid's drawing?" the Soldier mocked, obviously unaware of the purposes the said kid's drawing served.

Merasmus chose to ignore him and spread his arms, chanting in an unknown language as his fingers twitched. The pentagram on the paper began to glow bright red before suddenly bursting into flames which consumed everything within the circle. The fire subsequently grew stronger and rose into a burning whirlpool; bright, furious and menacing. The BLU Soldier instinctively tried to back away when he noticed a glowing red circle spread around the original blaze almost reaching his feet and the flames filling it near-instantly.

"-I will not go down without a fight you magical bastard!, the American shouted, You won't burn me alive this easily!

-This is not my intention."

The ground suddenly trembled and the floor crumbled to pieces just before the Soldier's eyes. He watched, petrified, as a hole large enough for a human to pass through it formed beneath the fire. It was filled with flames immediately and a foul odor of sulfur erupted from it along with screams and unrecognizable sounds.

A portal to Hell.

The bastard had just opened a portal to godfucking _Hell_.

But before the BLU Soldier could say anything he froze and starred at the hole, eyes wide. A black paw covered in fur had arisen from the flames and was resting just on the side of the hole. It was then followed by a second as the creature climbed out of the pit and turned towards him. The beast was around the size of a Doberman. It was covered in a thick coat of black fur minus a few fleshless patches scattered randomly across its body. It growled loudly while looking at him; opening its maw filled with yellow teeth of different size and shapes; dripping with saliva and foam. Its back was adorned with three thick bone spikes while its head sported a pair of red horns and five glowing eyes. Its legs were robust and sturdy; its claws a four-inches. It sat next to its creator and waited patiently, fleshless tail swatting the air.

Merasmus gave its head a pat as someone would with a beloved pet before turning around and sighing softly.

"Eat."

The horrified screams of the BLU Soldier and the ghastly barking of the hellhound subsequently filled his ears but he didn't look back. He grabbed Demoman by the shoulder and dragged him out of the room, using his magic to put the door back into place once he was in the corridor and propping the knocked out man up against it. A human like the BLU Soldier was enough to feed a hellhound for a few decades and he knew the beast would just go back through the portal once finished with its meal. He sighed again and closed his eyes, smoke and fog forming around him before he vanished into the air, taking all the magic away with him.

The RED Pyro was the one who stumbled upon the Demoman. For some reason his body had not been mangled or mutilated in any way. He looked perfectly fine actually, aside from the huge bump on the back of his head. The firebug crooked their head to the side in confusion and gently reached their fingers towards the Scotsman's throat to check his pulse.

He was alive.

Immediately the Pyro called for their teammates and the two other BLUs who joined them rapidly. They had stumbled upon the bodies of Spy, Sniper and Medic as well as Heavy and Engineer already and the idea of finding someone still alive had become more of a fantasy to them. But Demoman was very well alive; the groan he let out when the BLU Scout gently shook him proved it. He whimpered softly as his senses came back to him and shook his head.

"Demo… What happened?" the runner asked slowly with an almost whispered voice, as to not hurt his probably throbbing head.

The Scotsman didn't respond at first, turning towards the door and slowly, weakly reaching a hand to the handle.

"Solly… Solly is…

-He's in there?" the Scout asked.

The Demoman nodded his head slowly. The RED Heavy and Soldier carefully helped him up and the RED Pyro proceeded to open the door, jumping inside the room with their fire axe up before freezing in place. The spectacle inside the Demoman's room was gruesome, to say the least. Human remains were everywhere; scattered across the floor and splattered on the walls. Bits of guts were sprawled before what looked like a half eaten human body; bones broken to shards and flesh torn to shreds. Blood seemed to cover absolutely every inch of the floor and parts of the walls. There were scratch marks everywhere and the mercenaries were quickly met with the horrible stench of Death, mixed with the odor of sulfur.

"Oh god… O-Oh fuck…"

Alan barely had time to get out of the room before throwing up violently on the floor.

"I'm quitting this job, he gasped in between retches, I'm fucking quitting this job…"

The BLU Scout ignored the RED Soldier's complaints and kept starring. He noticed blood dripping from above and looked up.

There was a message written in gore across the ceiling.

'_This is only a warning, mortals_.'

_Next time shall be a nightmare far worse_."


	5. Repeat

Soldier breathed in and out slowly, starring at the clock on the bedside table. It was only 5 a.m. but he had woken up about half an hour ago and didn't feel like going back to sleep. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself and sighed softly, nuzzling a bit more into the pillow. He was… Comfortable; and the feeling was a bit surreal to say the least.

He could hear a conversation downstairs and two distinct voices. One was a bit higher pitched and spoke fast; sounding angry and agitated. The second voice on the other hand was lower and sounded extremely tired. The bickering went on for a few more minutes before fading and being replaced by footsteps climbing up the stairs. Jane quickly grabbed his helmet on the nightstand, shoved it down on his head and buried himself under the covers. He heard the door to his room open and instantly went silent.

Merasmus sat on the edge of the bed quietly and sighed, bringing a hand to his chest where his robe was torn and where his skin now bore a thin scar. He was exhausted, having used more magic in a few hours than he should have in an entire week, but he was also glad to be home. He carefully reached a hand out and touched Jane's shoulder through the blanket, making the man flinch a little.

"Jane, it's alright…"

He carefully peeled the cover off of the Soldier's face and gently brushed his finger tips across his cheek. The American backed away and looked up at him from under his helmet, prompting the older man to remove his hand from his face. Jane was extremely pale and his eyes were red and underlined with dark purple. There were traces of dried drool at the corner of his mouth and snot had dried off under his nose leaving a crust. His body was shaking slightly despite how warm the room was and the blanket he was wrapped in and the wizard could easily tell he wasn't at ease.

"Don't worry…"

He reached out for him once more and gently stroked his cheek, to which Jane flinched again. This time however the older man kept his fingers where they were, only moving to scratch behind his roommate's ear –a little attention he knew the man enjoyed greatly. Eventually the Soldier gave in and began to relax, exhaling softly and moving a bit closer. Merasmus carefully lifted Jane's head and placed it in his lap before going back to the ear scratching.

"-Did you sleep well?

-… Yes…

-No nightmares?

-…No… No nightmares…

-Good..."

Jane was speaking slowly and his voice was a bit croaking, but he did seem at least a bit more relaxed compared to earlier when he was forcefully put to sleep. The wizard smiled softly and began stroking his roommate's hair. Jane hesitantly wrapped an arm around his waist, holding weakly onto Merasmus and slowly opening his eyes.

"-… Who were you talking to downstairs?, he tiredly asked.

-The Bombinomicon, who else?

-… He sounded angry…

\- He was, yes…

-Why…?

-I went out during the night and… Well, I came back much later than he expected me to."

Soldier blinked slowly before looking up, lifting a hand to touch Merasmus' chest when he noticed the torn robe and the scar.

"-… What happened?, he asked again.

-Oh, This… I had a little accident, nothing to worry about, the wizard answered with another gentle smile.

-…I guess the Bombinomicon was mad at you for that as well… For getting hurt, I mean…

-He was, yes… He's always mad at me for something anyway.

-…You two sound like an old married couple sometimes, you know?

-You think so?... You should have seen us five hundred years ago. It was even worse." The older man huffed out.

Jane made a soft sound in response; one Merasmus could only describe as a chuckle. It was a little weak, but the wizard still took it as a sign his roommate was feeling better. His face had regained a bit of its colors, too. Merasmus was about to say something else when his nose twitched. He hadn't really paid attention yet, but the stench of urine in the room was quite strong.

"-I believe you need a bath.

-… Yeah… I guess…"

The wizard moved Jane's head from his lap and got up, taking hold of his hand and pulling gently. The Soldier began to move his legs before suddenly stopping and starring at the ground with wide eyes, going livid almost immediately again.

"-Jane? Jane is everything alright?

-I can't… I can't… Walk…

-Of course you can, what are you-

-T-They broke my legs they… They broke… They broke them! They broke my legs! They broke my legs! They-!

-Jane!"

Soldier began to scream hysterically and to hyperventilate and Merasmus immediately wrapped his arms around him, rocking him back and forth as gently and slowly as he could. He hummed into his ear, holding him tightly while squeezing his arm reassuringly as the man continued to flail.

"Nothing is broken; I took care of it… I healed you…"

To further prove his words the wizard hiked the blanket up to expose Jane's legs. The Soldier starred at them and his erratic breathing finally began to calm when he realized they were indeed fine, only bearing a few old scars. He took a few deep breathes to compose himself and relaxed, letting his head fall back against Merasmus' shoulder. The wizard sighed and allowed Jane to lean further against him. He knew, unfortunately, that these kinds of flashbacks and breakdowns were to be expected now –not that there weren't any before, but now they were just going to be worse. The Soldier trembled slightly and sucked in a shaky breath.

"I'm… Fine… , he whispered as if to convince himself, My legs… Are fine…"

He breathed in deeply again.

"-I'm… Fine…

-I told you everything was going to be alright…, Merasmus quietly said, Now come, I don't have enough magic left to carry you."

Soldier shivered and nodded slowly. He watched Merasmus get up and crawled closer to sit on the edge of the bed. The wizard wrapped his arms around him again to lift him up, holding Jane close to help him keep his balance. The Soldier clung to him with a soft whimper as his legs trembled when he tried his best to stand straight.

"There, hold on to me... I will guide you."

Jane nodded again and began taking small, uneasy and clumsy steps while holding tightly onto the wizard. Merasmus carefully guided him out of the room and to the bathroom which, luckily, was on the same floor and only two rooms away. The wizard opened the door and sat Jane on the side of the lion-feet-tub. He turned the tap on, filling the bathtub with warm water before adding a good dose of soap to it. The Soldier shed off his soiled boxers and beloved helmet and sat there naked, waiting patiently for the bath to fill as he watched Merasmus fold up his sleeves and dip a hand in the water. He observed the tattoos running along his arm; slithering all over his pale skin from his wrist up to his shoulder and felt a small pang of guilt hit him. Their presence was pretty much his fault after all –if it wasn't for him, the wizard would have never been forced to go to prison. Jane traced one of the tattoos with his finger, looking up at Merasmus with a tired and apolitical look on his face before the wizard gently took his hand and squeezed it.

"Jane, you do not have anything to reproach yourself with. I forgave you everything when I allowed you back in my castle, so do not worry. Everything is okay now."

He turned the tap off and smiled softly, wrapping his arms around the Soldier.

"I'm here to take care of you, not to blame you."

Jane held onto the wizard and slowly lowered himself into the bath. He felt the warmth engulf him and began to shiver hard, sighing in pure bliss. The hot water soothed the pain in his aching muscles and lulled him into a sense of peace and comfort, driving the bad memories away for a moment. Merasmus picked up the wash glove, doused it in soap and began rubbing slow circles over the Soldier's back to rid him of the sweat and filth all the while gently massaging his left shoulder with his other hand. The American closed his eyes and began sobbing quietly. After all the abuse and torture he had been put through, the sudden gentleness of the situation and the care provided by his roommate was overwhelming –in the best way possible.

"-Thank you…, he whimpered softly, Thank you…

-Shhh… It's okay…"

Merasmus buried his nose in Jane's short cropped hair and gently nuzzled him there. He rubbed and massaged his shoulder carefully, easing the pain out of the Soldier's worn out body as his hands roamed to rub and clean every inch of skin. Steam lifted off from the water to fog the only window of the bathroom and shielded the two of them from the outside world. Jane shivered a bit and sniffled, pressing his cheek to Merasmus' tattooed forearm.

"… So… You killed the BLU team." He said in a slightly shaky voice.

The sentence sounded a bit more like a statement than a question. The wizard loosened his grip on Jane's shoulder a bit and sighed.

"-I cannot really hide anything from you, can I?

-I know I'm an idiot, but I still understand _some things_…"

Jane shivered again and Merasmus made him lift his arm so he could clean his side.

"... What is it that betrayed me?, the wizard asked as he rubbed over the scarred skin.

-Well… You went out during the night and came back wounded and smelling of blood. After what happened to me, it's easy to understand what you were up to…

-I suppose, yes…

-… So you really killed them…

-I did… But I-

-You spared their Demoman, Scout and Pyro.

-Yes.

-I knew you would…

-You seem to know a lot about me lately."

Jane let out a soft laugh and leaned back to press his head in the crook of Merasmus' neck. The wizard couldn't help but smile contently. Soldier seemed to be making some rapid progress and his face had almost regained its natural color. His dark eye circles had also reduced a bit, and he wasn't shaking or shivering anymore. The wizard was surprise to see Jane wasn't any more affected by the death of his former adversaries. He used to talk about them as 'quite worthy opponents'; maybe he'd changed his mind or-… Oh… Yes. Merasmus remembered now; he hadn't mentioned the broken respawn. Jane probably thought the wizard had killed the BLUs once and had then allowed them to come back to life through the complex machinery. Well, it was probably better to let him believe this, anyway. Merasmus sighed softly and quickly finished washing Jane. He set the glove down, got up and helped his roommate out of the bath. He opened the cupboard and pulled out the largest towel he could find before tightly wrapping it around the Soldier to make sure he would stay warm.

"Now, dry yourself and will go and find some clean clothes for you, alright?"

Jane nodded and watched as Merasmus disappeared into the corridor. He did as he was told and began drying himself, leaning against the wall as he rubbed the towel over his body. The door to his own room –which was next to Merasmus' own- was wide open and he could hear shuffling inside as the wizard searched for clothes. The castle was completely silent in fact aside from those noises; and it triggered a rather odd feeling to course through Jane. As much as he tried to shake it off, the Soldier couldn't help but feel a heavy gaze on him, as if someone was watching. He hadn't noticed before; probably because Merasmus was there and talking to him but now the eerie thought that he was being observed began to grow in his mind. He shivered, looking around but there was no one. His breath quickened and soon enough Jane felt himself break into a cold sweat as the feeling increased in intensity. He looked up at the window but it was fogged and he couldn't see anything.

"Merasmus…?" he called in a weak and shaking voice.

The wizard didn't answer and the sound of a cupboard being open and unfolded clothes falling out of it in a heap could be heard. Jane shook his head and swallowed in an uneasy breath. There was definitely someone watching him, he was sure of it now. He looked up at the window again and felt his own blood freeze. There, behind the foggy panel of glass, was the silhouette of a head peering down at him. Jane wanted to scream but the sound just curled up in his throat and refused to come out. He tried to call for Merasmus, tried to shout again but found himself unable to make a single noise. His breath came out in short gasps and sweat rolled down the back of his neck. He looked up at the window again.

It was gone.

"What…?"

It was… gone? This fast? Or maybe he had just hallucinated it? Jane brought a trembling hand to his forehead, not daring to take his eyes of the window. He didn't feel feverish… Maybe he was just tired? …Yes. He was… Probably just tired.

"Jane? Are you alright?"

The Soldier turned to face Merasmus who was standing in the doorway, a pile of neatly folded clothes in his arms.

"I'm fine I just… I'm still a bit… I thought I saw something, but it's gone."

Merasmus was about to ask where before Jane pointed at the window. The wizard nodded and approached carefully, holding the pile of clothes with one arm as he lifted his other hand. He wiped the steam off the glass surface and looked outside. As expected there was nothing, no movement nor any sign of life.

"-There is nothing outside, the wizard informed his roommate.

-I probably just hallucinated it, don't worry…"

Merasmus sighed and walked back to Jane.

"In that case, we should get you dressed before you catch a cold. I do not want you getting worse…"

As he spoke he handed the Soldier a white undershirt which the man hastily put on, followed by a pair of clean boxers, some black sweatpants and his trusty helmet. A thin blanket was thrown over Jane's shoulder to complete the attire before the wizard gave a small nod, urging the rocketman to follow him. He closed the door behind them and led Soldier across the hallway, down into the living room and sat him on the luxurious sofa.

"-Now stay there and rest, he said as he arranged the cushions around Jane, I will make you some breakfast.

-Ah- No thanks, the younger man replied as he shook his head and placed a hand over his stomach, I don't feel too well for the moment… 'Might throw up if I eat anything…

-Are you sure? You don't even want some coffee?

-Well… Yeah, okay. Coffee sounds pretty nice, Jane answered with a small smile.

-Coffee it is then."

Merasmus immediately set off for the kitchen and turned the coffee machine on, keeping an ear out in case Jane called for him but the man was perfectly calm and comfortably lying in the sofa amongst cushions and pillows. Soldier intertwined his fingers, laid his hands across his chest and relaxed as he felt it rise and fall slowly. Rain began pouring outside, small droplets hitting the windows and he closed his eyes to better enjoy the gentle sound surrounding him. He suddenly heard another voice come from the kitchen; but it wasn't Merasmus'. It was higher pitched, with a distinctive Mexican accent. The Bombinomicon began a rather calm conversation with the wizard which Jane didn't really listen to. He did hear apologies from both parties at some point however, probably about the argument from earlier. The two spoke a bit more before the Bombinomicon floated away and the Soldier could smell the aroma of hot coffee and hear Merasmus take a mug out of the cupboard.

He stayed still and only opened his eyes again when he heard footsteps approaching. He sat up, scooting to the side so his roommate could sit down and thanked him when the hot beverage was handed to him. He blew carefully before taking a few, long and slow gulps as Merasmus gently rubbed his back.

"-How does it feel?

-Great… Really great…" the Soldier sighed in bliss as he set his coffee down.

He rested his head against his roommate's shoulder and relaxed, closing his eyes and nuzzling a bit closer. Merasmus wrapped an arm around him and held him quietly. Jane took another sip and hummed appreciatively as the warmth caressed his throat.

"… Where are the raccoons?, he finally asked when he realized none of them had yet jumped onto the sofa to join him.

-I let them out this morning when I came in… Do you want me to let them inside?"

As he spoke the wizard began to rise into a stand but Jane pulled him down and shook his head.

"I guess they're still in the forest… They'll probably come back by themselves for lunchtime..."

Merasmus simply nodded and sat back next to the Soldier. He allowed the man to lean against his form again as he finished his coffee and gently stroked his hair. Jane nuzzled into his chest and sighed.

"Do you think… Do you think Lieutenant Bites is in Raccoon Heaven now?" He quietly asked.

Merasmus didn't answer, taken slightly aback by the question. He stayed silent, unsure what to answer or if he had even understood the words correctly. Jane took it as an opportunity to continue.

"-What if he wasn't a good enough raccoon and didn't go to Heaven? I mean, he chewed on the furniture and the carpets a lot; and he ate the sour cream I left out for other raccoons and-

-Jane; please; don't worry… Lieutenant Bites did cause a lot of trouble, but he was a… Uhm… 'Good raccoon'… I am sure he is in… In…

-Raccoon Heaven?, Soldier asked with watery eyes.

-Yes… 'Raccoon Heaven'…, Merasmus replied, a bit skeptical about the existence of such a place.

But if pretending it did exist could make Jane feel better, he could go along with it. The American let out a breathy sigh and clung tighter to the wizard.

"-I hope they have sour cream up there… And garbage bins to rummage through and lots of space to run around…

-I am sure they do, Merasmus assured as he stroked his roommate's hair, I am sure they do…"

He let out a soft yawn and stretched his arms a bit.

"-You're tired?, the Soldier asked as he rested his head against the older man's shoulder.

-A bit, yes… I haven't slept yet.

-Oh…"

Jane quickly set his coffee down on the nearby table and pulled Merasmus against him and leaned back, still holding him until they were both lying on their side and embracing each other. The wizard didn't try to resist, instead opting to remove his skull-hat and the Soldier's helmet so he could rest his chin atop his roommate's head.

"-I could have also gone to sleep later, you know.

-No… I want you to stay with me; and you need your beauty sleep.

-My '_beauty sleep_'…" Merasmus laughed softly.

He pulled Soldier closer and began stroking his hair again.

"You idiot…"

Jane smiled and pressed further into the touch.

Merasmus was actually quite quick to fall asleep. He was exhausted and almost out of magic, after all. Soldier took a bit longer but was eventually lulled to sleep by the sound of rain falling on the roof, his roommate's warmth, and the soothing feeling of comfort and security.

…

The burst of fire and sudden scorching heat was as unexpected as it was destructive. Every single page of the Bombinomicon was set ablaze at once as the book was consumed into a roaring whirlpool of bright flames. The old, yellowed paper burned away in merely seconds while the leather cover instantly blackened with a revolting smell similar to burning hair. When the magical entity weakened to the point it wasn't able to mystically float around anymore, it inevitably fell to the ground with an almost silent sound. The dark figure immediately took the opportunity to stomp the ashes, scattering them across the floor with a few swift kicks until there was nothing left but just mere scraps of burned paper.

As the adrenaline rush from the unexpected encounter slowly began to fade, it realized its fingers were trembling slightly around the Zippo and half-empty deodorant spray can. It hastily put the gear away in its backpack and carefully made its way to the living room. The figure was dressed in an old, far too large hoody, washed out jeans and thick leather boots. Its face bore a handful of cigarette burns on the left side while the skin on the right side seemed to have been severely burned and scarred. Its right eye was entirely white and the skin had slightly receded from it while the right part of its lips had been sealed by a particularly severe burn.

With a small shudder of apprehension it entered the living room, only to find the RED Soldier and his mystical roommate asleep on the sofa. The two were embracing each other closely, snoring softly and staying completely still as they rested together. The figure slowly shook its head and silently rummaged through its backpack. The pair looked so peaceful like this; almost innocent in their sleep. The RED Soldier was clinging tightly to the wizard and holding him with his arms around his chest, his head tucked in the crook of his neck. The older man on the other hand had a hand flat against the rocketman's back and held him in a gentle and protective manner. The figure sighed softly.

It looked just like the way it would hold onto Dell, and the way Dell would embrace it.

The figure pulled the Pistol it had retrieved from Dell's personal belongings out of its backpack and inspected it briefly; sighing and aiming it between the RED Soldier's eyes.

"I don't care about your warnings, it whispered slowly in a hoarse and damaged voice, I don't care about your _punishment_."

It placed a trembling finger on the trigger carefully.

"I don't care if everything just repeats itself."

Merasmus' eyes shot open as he heard the loud _bang_.

"Now at least, we're even." The BLU Pyro whispered.


End file.
